BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of
an international conference marking World Environment Day.
Trend presents
the address:
''Dear participants,
I extend my congratulations to all of you on the occasion of the
World Environment Day.
Hosting these global celebrations for the first time in the
region marks an important occasion for Azerbaijan. It reflects
acknowledgment of Azerbaijan’s increasingly active role in raising
environmental awareness at the international level and its
contribution to collective efforts to protect our planet.
In the 21st century, environmental protection stands among
shared responsibilities of the international community. Severe
consequences of climate change increasing year by year,
accelerating depletion of natural resources, including water,
biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, extreme heat are
among key interrelated processes that demand urgent measures.
The environmental challenges facing our planet have devastating
impacts not only on ecosystems but also on sustainable development,
public health, livelihood and prosperity of countries. The
well-being of future generations depends on how effectively we
address these challenges today.
In Azerbaijan, we take this responsibility seriously and are
implementing large-scale initiatives in the field of environmental
safeguarding. We are witnessing increasing frequency of both floods
and droughts across the country. Water scarcity constitutes a
serious concern not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire region.
The decline in the level of the Caspian Sea approaching historic
minimum level recorded over the past two centuries, is a clear
indication of the severity of the problem.
The goal of a clean environment and a “green growth” country has
been identified as one of the five key national priorities for
Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development through 2030. In line with
this priority, targeted efforts are being undertaken to enhance
green spaces and forest areas, ensure the efficient use of water
resources and sustainable energy sources, and establish modern
infrastructure for waste management.
To preserve biodiversity, Azerbaijan is also expanding specially
protected nature areas. The Hyrcanian forests, a unique forested
massif which hosts many relicts, as well as regionally and locally
endemic species of flora, is the first natural site in Azerbaijan
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Regrettably, for nearly 30 years our territories that remained
under occupation were subjected to ecocide and urbicide. This led
to the disruption of ecological balance in these areas. In
addition, the large number of landmines buried in the formerly
occupied territories continues to cause serious environmental
damage to this day.
Immediately after the liberation of its territories, Azerbaijan
launched large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in
its Garabagh and East Zangezur economic regions. Rebuilding
infrastructure in line with the “smart city” and “smart village”
concepts, green energy projects and modern technologies will
contribute to the ecosystem restoration.
At the same time, Garabagh and East Zangezur, officially
declared as green energy zones, offer strong renewable energy
potential, including solar, wind, and hydropower resources.
Developing green energy is among Azerbaijan’s policy
priorities.
Dear participants,
Under the global call on: “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For
our Future” this year’s World Environment Day focuses on drawing
attention to the urgent need to deepen nexus between climate action
and nature.
Today, climate crisis transcends borders, making it imperative
to enhance international cooperation. During its COP29
Chairmanship, Azerbaijan provided an important platform for climate
diplomacy and multilateralism, as well as reinforced global
solidarity building bridges between developing and developed
countries. The “Baku breakthrough”, as Azerbaijan’s COP legacy,
delivered historic decisions.
Since COP29, our climate leadership continued and, just two
weeks ago, the 13th session of the World Urban Forum – the largest
ever on record – was hosted by Azerbaijan. The event culminated in
the adoption of the Baku Call to Action which emphasized the need
for strengthened international cooperation and concrete action to
promote sustainable, affordable and climate-resilient housing for
all.
Azerbaijan will continue to play an active role in advancing the
global environmental agenda by promoting multilateral cooperation
with the aim of leaving future generations a green and sustainable
legacy.
In conclusion, I wish every success to this event.''
